Manipur government urges calm after NRC protests at offices
Imphal, Sep 13 (PTI) A day after protests were held over NRC demand in Manipur, the state government on Sunday urged people not to create disturbances at its offices across the state.
Manipur government spokesperson Thokchom Radheshyam Singh appealed to them to support its endeavour to restore peace in the strife-torn state.
His appeal came a day after members of the Campaign for Just and Fair Delimitation (JFD) locked a few state government offices here, demanding that the National Register of Citizens (NRC) with base year 1951 be prepared before the beginning of the census exercise in the state.
Addressing a press conference, Singh said the state government is fully aware of people's demand.
He also said the assembly reaffirmed its earlier resolution to conduct NRC before the census, and that Chief Minister Y Khemchand Singh has conveyed the demand to the central government.
The BJP MLA said, "The NRC exercise is not easy. It is complex. Some things are within our control while some are not. We took a resolution in the assembly."
On JFD's call for the closure of government offices, he said, "Such an agitation may lead to various undesirable incidents and affect the functioning of the state government."
The Manipur government spokesperson appealed to the JFD not to intensify the agitation.
"Home Minister Govindas Konthoujam, along with a delegation, is camping in Delhi. We are making efforts to convey the people's demand to the Centre. Still, the final call will be taken by the central leadership. Nevertheless, we will keep on pursuing the steps related to NRC."
Everyone, irrespective of community, suffers due to agitations, he said, adding, "Let's try to bring peace in the state".
The ethnic conflict that erupted in May 2023 between the valley-based Meitei and the hill-based Kuki communities in Manipur has claimed at least 306 lives, with 49 individuals remaining missing and thousands left homeless.
